Socio-cultural center Kulturbastion Torgau

The Kulturbastion offers cabaret, comedy, concerts, readings and exhibitions. There is also a youth center and a digital 3D cinema.

In 1809, Napoleon I decided to have a new fortress built on the Elbe. The main reason for this was to secure and fortify the Elbe line ahead of a possible Russian campaign. The choice ultimately fell on Torgau. The main structure of the Torgau fortress, whose construction began in 1810, consisted of eight bastions. These were fortified parts of the main rampart and had bomb-proof rooms, so-called flank casemates, in their lateral boundaries. One such flank casemate was today's Kulturbastion Torgau.After Napoleonic rule, Torgau became Prussian property in 1815 and the bastion and fortifications were further expanded. The last building to be erected was a bomb-proof granary in 1877, which is now used as the offices of KAP Torgau e.V.. On 01.01.1893, the Prussian military handed over the fortress site to the town of Torgau.In the 20th century, the flank casemate was used in a variety of ways, e.g. as a weapons and provisions depot.For example, as a weapons, provisions and refugee camp or warehouse. In November 2005, the cultural bastion was handed over to the KAP-Torgau e.V. by the town of Torgau. After two years of construction and with the help of the EU's ERDF program and the federal government's "Culture in the New States" development program, it was possible to convert the old Bastion II fortress in Torgau, which is a listed building, into a socio-cultural center. The KAP-Torgau was awarded the Culture Prize of the Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e.V. in 2005.The association not only succeeded in establishing a socio-cultural center, but also in actively protecting historical monuments by renovating parts of the culturally and historically significant Torgau fortress. The program includes cabaret and comedy, concerts, readings, exhibitions, a youth center and a digital 3D cinema. Thanks to the variety of programs on offer, it is visited by a broad section of the population. The interplay of architecture, program offerings and facilities make the Kulturbastion an architectural and cultural gem in the rural area.